Spotted salamander near state symbolism

Three years in the making and the spotted salamander is close to becoming the official amphibian of the state.

All that's left is a John Hancock from Gov. Ted Strickland on the bill -- initiated by the West Geauga Schools' Wetlands Education Team -- which passed the Ohio House and Senate on Thursday.

"The recent flooding in our area has underscored the important role wetlands play in absorbing excess rainfall," junior Clay McMullen said.

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"The spotted salamander will be the wetlands ambassador and help people understand why its habitat is so important to preserve."

Shawn Cooper, Zak Kucera and Clay -- who will be juniors in the fall -- as well as upcoming sophomore Kelli Wright and Hawken sophomore Isabella Todaro, hope to witness Sub House Bill 393 signed by the governor in the next couple of weeks.

The bill, which reads, in part: "The salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, commonly known as the spotted salamander, is the official amphibian of the state."

Having started the bill-making process in April 2007, Clay said the hardest part of the venture was the waiting.

"I've definitely learned a lot about the inner-workings of our government, that it takes a lot of time to pass something that's seemingly little compared to some of the other things they deal with," Clay said.

"But it's also been very rewarding because now that it's over, I realize that this bill is going to affect hundreds of thousands of students because every fourth-grade student is required to learn about state symbols. It's going to raise a lot of awareness because people will be learning about the native habitat of spotted salamanders."

The salamander, which has two distinctive rows of yellow to yellowish-orange spots from its head to its tail, is found throughout Ohio living near seasonal wetlands called vernal pools, Bonnie Gruttadauria, director of communications for West Geauga Schools, said in a statement.

"It spends part of its life in vernal pools and part on land," she said. "When the first warm showers of spring arrive, the spotted salamander returns to the vernal pool where it was spawned and stays to lay its eggs.

"At the vernal pool, its young can start life in a relatively predator-free environment. The spotted salamander is an indicator species ... and can only survive in healthy ecosystems. Fortunately, Ohio has many vernal pools throughout the state.

"Children love to overturn rocks and logs to hunt for these treasures while exploring the outdoors."

According to the school district, Ohio has lost 90 percent of its wetlands, so "encouraging students to learn about the spotted salamander will help students understand why wetlands are so important to our welfare, and how they purify drinking water and reduce flooding, as well as act as a nursery for many animals."

The students from West Geauga High School will now turn their efforts to creating educational curriculum relating to Ohio's state symbols and wetlands, Gruttadauria added.